


polar opposites

by castlelions



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Dystopian Era, F/F, Leakira au, M/M, Multi, don't hate me but it WILL have angst, fire and water boyfriends, i miss them, slow burn baby, they fight
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-21
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:47:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22138036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/castlelions/pseuds/castlelions
Summary: leandro doesn't mind being a lab rat; as long as his family can set dinner on the table every night, he'll do anything the authorities tell him to do. he's willing to take that promise to the extreme, until akira exposes their intentions and leandro can't decide on who to trust: the government that provided for him or the boy that set his cold heart on fire.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 39





	1. café con leche

**Author's Note:**

> i missed leakira so i took it upon myself to bring them back. enjoy. <3

The sun was a laser, beaming down on Leandro’s back as he scoured the coastline for new shells to collect. He couldn’t remember exactly when he’d started this habit, walking down the beach every morning before work. It was probably after he tripped over a conch shell and fell in love with how the ocean sounded so close and far away when he put it to his ear. 

He knew that he must have been young because of the high shriek he made when he found the shell; he couldn’t make those sounds now.

Old habits die hard, he guessed. 

His foot caught on something wedged into the sand. Leandro knelt to uncover it, discovering a barnacle-infested oyster. He turned it in his hands before stuffing it into his pocket; there could be a pearl in it. 

“Leo!” shouted Yves, his younger sister. She was running toward him, coily brown hair waving behind her like a flag. 

Leandro stopped to let her catch up, laughing at her dramatic attempts to catch her breath. “Don’t burst a lung there, _chica_.” 

Yves curled her nose at him. “Don’t get sandworms up your pants, _muchacho_.” 

“What does Mama need?” 

“For you to come home, breakfast is ready.” 

Leandro licked his lips. Mama’s breakfast was always delicious with the café con leche and the tostadas to dip. 

He rubbed his knuckles into Yves’ hair, earning a yelp of protest from her, then ran in the direction of home. “Race you there!” 

Yves giggled and ran after him. He could hear her soft, muffled footsteps catching up with him. Feeling like playing a little prank, Leandro spread his arm out to the ocean, beckoning it closer. The tide responded in kind, rushing to collide with Yves. She shrieked as she collapsed beneath the wave. 

“No fair!” she whined, half crying half laughing after Leandro. He cackled, turning back to see that they were already home. 

The Sanches homestead was settled back aways on the coast of Varadero Beach. Leandro begged Mama to let him paint the outside; all sides of the house were painted a deep blue like the vast ocean they lived next to. There had been a time when citizens of Cuba would play and frolic along this seaboard, but this property now belonged to his family after the Cuban government paid some money in return for Leandro’s specific abilities. 

He was three when they manifested. Mama had been trying to dip his feet into the water, but out of fright, Leandro kicked his legs, sending the water receding backward several feet. Ever since that display, Mama had always told him to never show his power, especially around the military. 

“They’ll take you as their science experiment, mijo,” she’d tell him one night before bed. “You know there have been many kidnappings this year.” 

“I’ll be careful,” he’d always say, but it wasn’t enough. Somehow they knew and paid a visit to the Sanches farm to “talk.” They were essentially blackmailed: take this money or we make you all homeless.

Mama took the money. Now Leandro was required to visit the Powered Children Association, or the PCA, every week. They’d make him run laps, test how long he could hold his breath underwater. (He could breathe underwater.) 

There were other kids there too. He and all the others were getting paid to do whatever the government wanted. It was basically a job.

Leandro didn’t mind. As long as he was providing for his family, it was better than nothing. With a family as big as his, they needed all the help they could get. 

He jogged up the steps to his home. He ran a hand through his hair in case some sand had gotten in. As he leaned his shoulder against the front door to open it, the rich smell of café wafted his way. Leandro breathed it in greedily. But soon after the air was knocked out of him as two of his other siblings threw themselves on him in their attempts to embrace him. 

“What did you find, Leo?” asked Mateo, grinning up at Leandro with his adorable gap showing.

“Did you see a shark?” Alma whispered loudly as if talking about sharks would summon them onto their front porch. 

Leandro smiled fondly at them both, kneeling down to meet their eyes. “There are no sharks at Varadero, _mija_. And look,” he continued to Mateo, reaching into one of his pockets to show him a multi-colored scallop he’d come across earlier that morning. “You can have it if you want.” 

Mateo shrilled and grabbed the shell, bounding excitedly. “It’s so pretty!”

Alma pouted, turning her puppy dog eyes on him. “I want one too.” At the same time, Yves stormed through the front door, clothes wet from the ocean. She glared at Leandro but couldn’t hide her smile before running to her room.

Leandro chuckled and reached for another shell, but Mama came downstairs and shooed the children away. “Don’t you have homework to do?” she said with a smile. She lifted an eyebrow at Mateo and Alma, who cackled and ran away deeper into the house. 

Mama, or Esmeralda Sanches, was by far his favorite woman in the world. She was always radiating with so much love for all her children, but she wouldn’t hesitate to discipline whenever it was needed. Leandro was lucky to have her as his mother. 

“Hello, Mama,” Leandro said, walking over to kiss her cheeks. 

“Hi, baby,” she grabbed his face and smooched his forehead. Mama was a few heads shorter than him, but that didn’t stop her from showering him in love. “Are you okay?” 

“Yes, Mama.” 

“Did any of the _militar_ try to talk to you?” 

“No, Mama. It was just me on the beach, it always is.”

She sighed, the wrinkles around her eyebrows flattening. “That’s good,” she said, but Leandro wasn’t convinced. She was getting more worried by the day. Should he be worried too? 

“Breakfast is on the table,” she said, stepping away. She went to the sink and began washing dishes. “Eat everything before you go.” 

Leandro nodded, dismissing the thought before he began to overthink. 

“Okay.” 

He sat down at the dinner table and immediately grabbed the mug of café, breathing in the smell deeply before taking a gracious gulp. The coffee was just the right temperature; it didn’t burn his tongue but it was hot enough to taste the delicious mix of cocoa and milk.

As he sipped his café con leche, he wondered what he’d be tasked to do at work today. Maybe make some ice cubes to chill the militia’s drinks? He wouldn’t be surprised, they had him make it snow indoors last week. 

Whatever it was, he didn’t have the time to care. He was getting paid. He was helping Mama and his siblings and that’s what mattered most to him.

The rest of the world could burn.


	2. group activity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the one where water meets fire.

Leandro swiped his access card across the wall reader, opening the sliding doors that led the way into the PCA lobby. 

Everything here screamed, “I’m expensive, don’t break me.” Glass ceilings exposed the floors above. The white tiled floors were so shiny they reflected everything. The walls were adorned with paintings and various trinkets that were probably worth millions. This was the only place that had this much investment; that most likely had to do with the children they’ve enlisted into their program. 

Leandro could remember exactly when the PCA became a major corporation. Their advertisements became daily on the television, flyers were posted around the town promising a deal of a lifetime if “gifted children” joined them. It was like they were recruiting for something, but Leandro had yet to figure that out. In the meantime, he was fine with being their lab rat and being paid handsomely for it. 

He headed for the “Associates Only” entrance, where he had to use his access card once again. When he walked through the doors, they slammed shut behind him, the sound echoing in the empty hallways. It was always so desolate here, but he knew all the others would be in the seminar room to start the day. 

He took a deep breath, straightened his shirt, and walked to the double doors at the end of the hallway. He opened them into a small auditorium where all the PCA kids were seated, taking up two rows of chairs. There was a podium at the front were a few uniformed officials stood, presenting a slideshow.

“You are all important,” one of them was saying, pacing on the podium. “All of you have unique abilities that make you valued members of PCA, as well as Cuba’s protectors.” 

Leandro scowled. Americans. What right did they have to decide who’d protect his country? 

“Ah! We have another member joining us,” said the spokesperson, a graying man who looked around fifty. He waved at Leandro. “Come, come, sit with us. Leandro, isn’t it?” 

He flinched. _How did he know my name?_ Walking down the steps, he took the last seat in the second row and folded his arms across his chest. He hated these seminars. 

“For those who just joined us, my name is Solas and we are the Powered Children Association,” continued the old man. “We take kids like you and train them to be their best, honing their abilities and building on their strengths.” 

Leandro had heard this all before so he began to tune out. The presentation was just reassurance to make sure the kids stayed with the program. Honestly, they would all leave if it weren’t for the money involved. It was better than the minimum wage jobs in town. 

There were times where his family struggled to find their next meal. Mama’s part-time job at the factory wasn’t cutting it. If it weren’t for Leandro’s abilities, they wouldn’t have survived last summer. So in his opinion, the PCA was fine with him.

Leandro had spaced out long enough to survive the end of the seminar. “Okay, now it’s time for the real work,” Solas was saying. The powerpoint shut down behind him.

“Everyone get into your groups!” 

Leandro sat straighter. “What groups?” he shouted above the din of talking kids. 

Solas looked at him with a strange look in his eyes. “Ah, you came a bit late. That’s alright! I’ve assigned everyone a partner to work with, whose powers should be as close to your opposite as possible. We’re focusing on learning to work _with_ your opposite, not against.” 

Leandro was at a loss. How was he supposed to find someone like that? It looked like everyone all had a partner. Maybe if he hadn’t asked for more tostadas he would’ve made it minutes earlier. 

“How about that young man over there?” said Solas, pointing toward the other end of Leandro’s row.

Leandro stood to look through the crowd. For a moment no one stuck out to him. Then he noticed a single boy sitting by himself, the faintest of glows around his body. Everybody seemed to be deliberately avoiding them, giving him a wide berth. 

Hm, interesting. That guy had completely white hair, unkempt like he didn’t have the time to comb it through. At least he was his opposite in that aspect. 

Leandro shrugged and walked down the aisle toward him, but he had to stop as soon as a wave of vicious heat hit him in the face. It was like stepping into a blazing fire with no clothes on. 

The white-haired boy looked up at him, his eyes smoldering like embers. Was this heat coming from _him?_

“Uh, hey,” Leandro said, holding up his hands. “You mind dropping that heat wall of yours?”

The white-haired boy shrugged almost helplessly and looked away. “I can’t.” 

_Well, shit._ How was Leandro going to work _with_ him if he couldn’t get close enough? 

“Okay!” Solas clapped his hands. “Everyone head to the Exercise Room!” 

Leandro rolled his eyes. The Exercise Room was just the place scientists conducted their experiments on them. It was their lab. He hated all the sugarcoating. 

He glanced at the boy and gestured for the door. “Come on.” 

The boy looked up then, frowning. “Where are we going?” 

Ah, he was new to this program. “A room that they’ll have us demonstrate our powers and try out new tricks,” Leandro explained. “Come on, I promise it’s nothing bad.” 

The boy was hesitant when he stood up, his arms crossing over his chest. He looked incredibly hot in his red sweater, he even had a pair of riding goggles strapped to his head. It occurred to Leandro that he didn’t know the boy’s name. 

“Hey, I’m Leandro,” he said, offering a smile to set the boy at ease. “What’s your name?” 

The boy looked up at him, his eyes full of smoke. “Akira.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> send me your akira headcanons! i'd love to read them! maybe hint at some in later chapters uwu?


	3. teamwork

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The ground started to change inclination, forcing him and the others to push harder in the race. Leandro took careful breaths, leaning forward to gain momentum. His legs ached and his chest burned, but he didn’t let that slow him down yet.
> 
> Akira was rapidly gaining speed, pulling ahead of Leandro. /He's going too far./ At the same time, the brawny girl was pulling pieces of the obstacles into the air, aiming a massive ball in his direction. 
> 
> “Watch out, Akira!”

“Stand as close to your partner as possible,” said Solas through the intercom. He and all the scientists were huddled behind a glass window, watching from fifty feet above the ground. No doubt the window was hurricane-proof. 

Leandro didn’t attempt to get closer to Akira. The guy was like the sun. Maybe his first exercise could be controlling his heat? 

“That means you too, Leandro.” 

Leandro rolled his eyes. “I would have if I could.” He glanced at Akira. His arms were still crossed. An idea dawned in Leandro’s head. 

Solas began to talk again, but Leandro leaned slightly in Akira’s direction. “Hey, try unfolding your arms. Maybe your heat will do down?”

Akira gave him a look that sent a warm flush of embarrassment down his spine. “It doesn’t work that way.” He still lowered his arms, visibly looking as tense as before.

“It was worth a try.” 

Solas’ voice crackled louder through the speaker. “You have to help each other survive the obstacle course. The first two teams to get to the end advances to the next round. The course will begin soon. Ready yourselves!” 

Leandro instinctively braced his legs. The entire room was specifically designed to handle the various powers of the kids. On command, the walls could protrude or retract and the floors could create obstacles that changed to the scientists’ liking. The whole area was covered in white paint, making it slightly difficult to distinguish things specifically. 

Akira shifted his weight. “I don’t like this.” His voice lowered several octaves. 

Leandro glanced his way, concerned. He didn’t have the time to give him a proper pep talk, but he did notice how much he stuck out like a red crayon in a completely white background. 

“Just help me survive, and I’ll help you. Just be alert and try not to—”

The floor jerked beneath them, moving backward like a treadmill. Akira tripped but quickly rebalanced. It was time to move! 

“Go!” Leandro shouted, sprinting forward. He could feel Akira following closely behind him, his heat was hard to ignore. 

Leandro leaned to the right to let him come up beside him, keeping an eye on the other students that ran alongside them. The speakers crackled with sound, and it took Leandro a minute to realize they were playing a dramatic soundtrack, which made him roll his eyes. 

The walls creaked as they began to move. Leandro calculated the time from now and when they would start to jut out suddenly, then decided it was time to get rid of the competition. 

Several students were already doing so. A brawny girl raised her fist, causing a block of the ground to rise, launching a screaming boy into the air. A loud air horn sounded off, disqualifying the boy. Another girl extended her arm toward someone else, vines slithering off her arm and wrapping around them. She yanked the person off the floor and tossed them against the wall. Their shriek was overtaken by the airhorn.

The ground started to change inclination, forcing him and the others to push harder in the race. Leandro took careful breaths, leaning forward to gain momentum. His legs ached and his chest burned, but he didn’t let that slow him down yet.    
  
Akira was rapidly gaining speed, pulling ahead of Leandro. _He's going too far_. At the same time, he saw the brawny girl pulling pieces of the obstacles into the air, aiming a massive ball in his direction. 

“Watch out, Akira!” 

Akira looked up at his name, nearly shadowed by the ball of junk. Leandro slowed to a jog, his arms to the sky. He beckoned the moisture from the air with a grunt. The water splashed around for a bit before Leandro clenched his fist and guided the mass above Akira, solidifying it into a frozen shield just before the massive sphere exploded over it. 

Leandro then focused directly on the girl. With a flick of his wrist, he shattered the shield and rained the sharp fragments down on her. She screamed, raising her hands to protect herself. The airhorn sounded.

Leandro looked away, releasing control of the water. He rushed forward to catch up with Akira. They continued to run together, leaping over blocks and obstacles that rose out of the ground or out of the walls. Leandro admitted to himself that he was doing a pretty good job working with Akira; he knew when to attack and when to protect, sometimes without Leandro telling him to. They were pulling ahead of the rest, and easily at that. 

“Let’s pick up the pace!” yelled Solas. The floor jerked again, falling backward at a blurring speed.

Leandro cursed, messily tumbling to the ground. His bones ached but he scrambled back up. He suddenly stopped when his ankle collapsed painfully under him. It felt like he twisted it.

_ Well, fuck.  _

A burning pain erupted around his arms, pulling him upward. He looked up to see Akira literally dragging his ass forward. He was surprisingly strong for his height, but Leandro couldn’t focus anymore. The heat was getting too much to handle so he let loose the girly scream he was holding back. 

“LET GO!” 

Akira flinched and dropped him, but he didn’t stop running. “I’m sorry!”

Leandro tried to ignore the burns that singed his clothes and his skin. To say his touch was hot was an understatement. He sprang forward in a hopping sort of run to catch up, keeping that three-feet space between them. “You only burned one of my favorite shirts,” Leandro grinned, “so it’s okay.” 

Akira stared for a second before rolling his eyes. He pointed ahead of them. “Watch out, two incoming.”

Two of the remaining kids were leaping over the obstacles to reach them. One was nearly a blur when they moved which Leandro found more dangerous. He rose his arm, pulling from the air again. Leandro was getting tired so it was harder this time. But he managed to leech a good amount of water this time. He dropped his arm to let a vicious waterfall descend on the quicksilver kid, washing him away. 

The other boy looked back at his partner and in that time Akira pulled forward, grabbing the kid by his collar. He let out a shrill cry, fighting in Akira’s grip. The white-haired boy scowled meanly, chucking him across the room before sprinting off. The boy banged loudly against the wall and fell, not moving. 

After that, the race was easy. The other kids fought amongst themselves until the last team remained: a short girl with green hair and a tall, lanky boy with… horns on his head? They were too focused to come after Leandro and Akira. Leandro didn’t have the energy to take them out anyway, nor did he have to. They made it.

“Good job,” said Solas. The obstacles retracted into the wall and the ground stopped moving. Leandro immediately fell on his knees, gasping for air. 

He heard footsteps behind him, then felt Akira’s heat. He looked up to see him raising a brow. “You could’ve gone a little easier on that guy,” Leandro panted, the pain in his chest keeping him from breathing.

Akira shrugged. “It was instinct.” 

“Well, you can’t just chuck everyone across the room if they charge at you.” 

“I will. You can’t stop me.” 

“Okay, hotshot.” Leandro rolled his eyes. This guy’s hostile nature was either gonna land him in juvenile or worse. 

Someone clapped their hands. Leandro and the others looked up to see Solas walking down the steps from the little shelter he was hiding in, followed by the scientists. Some of them were jotting things on their clipboards viciously, others were staring openly at the kids.    
  
Solas wore a huge grin. “Amazing! I was right about you two,” he said to Leandro and Akira. “The rest of you did splendidly! Now it’s time for the next stage.” 

Leandro’s attention shifted when he saw movement at the corner of his eye. He saw the disqualified kids being ushered through the door they came out of. Leandro felt a twinge of guilt before shaking it away. He never made it this far before. He was in this for the money. With the money, he could bring Mama and his siblings to the inner city. 

“Come along now,” said Solas, waving them toward a door opposite of the exit. “This will be a change of pace.” 

He said that so happily, it didn’t sound so good. He glanced at Akira, who narrowed his burning eyes at Solas. 

If looks could kill, Solas would be dead in an instant. 


End file.
